Net Neutrality In India

The founders of some of India's largest new-age technology companies have signed a petition urging PM Narendra Modi to ensure net neutrality in India, emphasising that failing to do so would hurt the very startups he champions. ...... Signatories include Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Zomato's Deepinder Goyal, GOQii's Vishal Gondal, Prime Venture Partners' Sanjay Swamy and Sharad Sharma of iSPIRT. ..... about 1,400 people had signed the petition, including 700 startup founders, about 200 startup employees and 164 aspiring entrepreneurs. ...... "We must not let the misdirection and private interests of large incumbent telecom or online service companies undermine the digital rise of Start Up India — and must push back against their efforts to frustrate the clear rules on net neutrality that we all need" ......

India should not be a target for digital colonisation or gate-keeping but a significant hub powering the global Internet

...... A day after a road map for startups was announced by PM Modi at the Start Up India event, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh issued a statement saying the prime minister's "silence on this vital issue (of net neutrality) is deafening". In meetings that Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has held with startups, the most important policy requirement expressed was the need to maintain the neutrality of the Internet between big business and startups, Ramesh said. ......

"Digital colonisation is a real risk.

The only way to manage this risk and have free digital marketplace is to have right protective policies in place. This includes net neutrality, startup-friendly (intellectual property rights) and support for digital identity," said Sharad Sharma, cofounder of software product think tank iSPIRT, which spearheaded the petition along with Savetheinternet campaign volunteers.